The proposal came up during an annual policy review by parents and staff.

“As things change and as new inventions come along and as we start to see them creeping into our town and into our schools we need to address them,” said Bob Ross, assistant superintendent for secondary education.

He said he is aware of just two incidents involving e cigarettes in the district. While some suburban districts are warning parents that teens are using e cigarettes to get high, Ross said that has not been an issue in District 203.

The prohibition on the use or distribution of e cigarettes and other similar devices would be an expansion of the current tobacco rules and a violation would be punishable by a suspension or expulsion.

Plans to ban smokers from puffing on e cigarettes while indoors sparked a backlash yesterday with users and manufacturers calling the proposal crazy .

Welsh health minister Professor Mark Drakeford said officials were considering a ban in Wales amid fears the e cigs could re normalise traditional cigarettes and undermine the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces.

He said We are concerned they might act as a gateway to conventional cigarettes. It contains nicotine, it s highly addictive and you might then find it easier to move on to conventional cigarettes. I want to minimise the risk of a new generation becoming addicted.

If accepted, the ban could be rolled out across the UK.

The electronic devices, which can contain nicotine, have already been banned in some Welsh cafes and Cardiff s Millennium Stadium.

Sales of e cigarettes have boomed in recent years, with supporters claiming they are safer than ordinary cigarettes.

Andrew Payne, a founder of e cig firm Socialites, said When you look at the positives of e cigarettes such as less odour, no passive smoking and a link to more people quitting real cigarettes, this proposal seems crazy.

User Richard Filbrandt, from Carmarthen, Wales, said Why should we be put at risk of passive smoking ourselves in a smoking area?

A minimum alcohol price of 50p per unit is also proposed in the white paper of ideas on public health.

Prof Drakeford said it s aim is to address major public health challenges.

For a ban Elen De LAcy, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health Wales

ASH Wales gives a cautious welcome to the proposed ban on electronic cigarettes in public places.

The use of e cigarettes in smoke free places could re normalise smoking.

This may undermine public health efforts to deter young people from getting addicted.

It is vital we ensure adult e cigarette users who are trying to reduce their harm from tobacco are not treated in the same way as those who smoke conventional cigarettes.